Demon Influence

Frankj said:

A question, why do we see so many 3-400+ pound Christians with their gluttony directing every aspect of their life...

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Habits are hard to break. I am struggling with my weight too although I'm trying to reduce it. As we age it gets more difficult, or so it seems. I fall short in other areas of my life too. I would describe myself as struggling with sin as opposed to reveling in it, just as the Apostle Paul did. Fortunately, I have placed my faith and trust in my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. And although I don't perfectly follow his prescribed path, I know that I am saved by the grace of God. Jesus will fix and transform me. I can't wait

Marston said:

Habits are hard to break. I am struggling with my weight too although I'm trying to reduce it. As we age it gets more difficult, or so it seems. I fall short in other areas of my life too. I would describe myself as struggling with sin as opposed to reveling in it, just as the Apostle Paul did. Fortunately, I have placed my faith and trust in my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. And although I don't perfectly follow his prescribed path, I know that I am saved by the grace of God. Jesus will fix and transform me. I can't wait!

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Habits may be hard to break (for some) but they aren't hard to modify.

Modifying them slowly as we age for harmony with our physical changes is just something most people don't consider and are way too far in trouble before they start paying attention to them.

Some things (such as smoking, drinking, drugs, etc.) simply need to be extinguished entirely, others can be modified so that they don't cause problems to develop as your life changes.

This is the easy way to do things, it is slower but lasts and becomes permanent.

Edward429451 said:

I'll buy that. That makes pretty good sense. And when we obey the Lord it's weird what happens. I noticed that when I receive a blessing from the Lord for obedience and so forth, that I am blessing others out of the same blessing. And it occurred to me that scripture says that God and His power will flow through us unto others like a river. So If I didnt bless someone else out of my blessing from the Lord, then I wouldnt be being a "river" would I? I'd be being, a pond. Ponds have no flow and when they sit they go stagnant. So I make it a point to bless others out of every blessing I get, so there is flow to this river!

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I agree, @Edward429451!!

Marston said:

Habits are hard to break. I am struggling with my weight too although I'm trying to reduce it. As we age it gets more difficult, or so it seems. I fall short in other areas of my life too. I would describe myself as struggling with sin as opposed to reveling in it, just as the Apostle Paul did. Fortunately, I have placed my faith and trust in my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. And although I don't perfectly follow his prescribed path, I know that I am saved by the grace of God. Jesus will fix and transform me. I can't wait!

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@Marston, I'm a recovering chocoholic! For a long time, I prayed that the Father would replace my impulsiveness in eating chocolate with the fruit of the Spirit self-control through Jesus' death and resurrection power. He did more than I asked for. He took away all my desire for food other than during two meals a day with only water in between!! I eat a little chocolate during my brunch and a balanced diet during those meals. He might answer your persistent prayers differently, though, if you pray the same way.

Frankj said:

Habits may be hard to break (for some) but they aren't hard to modify.

Modifying them slowly as we age for harmony with our physical changes is just something most people don't consider and are way too far in trouble before they start paying attention to them.

Some things (such as smoking, drinking, drugs, etc.) simply need to be extinguished entirely, others can be modified so that they don't cause problems to develop as your life changes.

This is the easy way to do things, it is slower but lasts and becomes permanent.

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I struggled with alcoholism all of my life and that terrible lifestyle led to my obesity. Thanks to God, he granted me repentance and I quit completely in November of 2023. Getting the weight off in my late 50's is very difficult but I'm trying...sometimes.

Marston said:

I struggled with alcoholism all of my life and that terrible lifestyle led to my obesity. Thanks to God, he granted me repentance and I quit completely in November of 2023. Getting the weight off in my late 50's is very difficult but I'm trying...sometimes.

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Here's a suggestion, instead of trying to change your eating (the cause of your weight) all at once, try giving up just 100 calories a day.

Can you do that? Give up just that much from your daily diet? Permanently?

FWIW, a hundred calories is somewhere around a tablespoon or so of animal fats or the equivalent amount in calories spread out through the rest of your foods in almost unnoticeable small amounts, a small enough amount that you could reduce it that much and not know the difference.

The reason diets don't work is they put you on an unnatural regimen (to you) without establishing permanent changes in what and how you eat. That means you will end up reverting to your former eating patterns and foods as soon as you hit your weight goal and don't feel the pressure to lose.

Then there's always the lettuce diet, you can eat as much as you want any time you want of anything you want as long as you eat one head of lettuce between each bite of it. It always works, but no one ever seems to want to try it for some reason.

BruceLeiter said:

@Marston, I'm a recovering chocoholic! For a long time, I prayed that the Father would replace my impulsiveness in eating chocolate with the fruit of the Spirit self-control through Jesus' death and resurrection power. He did more than I asked for. He took away all my desire for food other than during two meals a day with only water in between!! I eat a little chocolate during my brunch and a balanced diet during those meals. He might answer your persistent prayers differently, though, if you pray the same way.

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I'm not overweight but I used to eat a lot of chocolate bars. I didnt even need to look for a cure from chocolate. The greedy ones priced then at almost $2 each now and that's more than I will pay. I remember buying the same candy bars for .25 cents each when I was a kid, I refuse to pay 2 bucks apiece now.

I paid a buck fifty once begrudgingly but if I pay $2 then they'll raise it to $3. If I stop buying their chocolate then they will have to drop the prices again.

Frankj said:

Habits may be hard to break (for some) but they aren't hard to modify.

Modifying them slowly as we age for harmony with our physical changes is just something most people don't consider and are way too far in trouble before they start paying attention to them.

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I watched a series of videos about the brain and some brain lady named Caroline Leaf on youtube and she says we can reprogram our brain in 21 days and tells how to do it. It's not really hard like you say but does require some discipline. I forget the names of the videos but that's all she talks about is the brain and changing our thinking over 21 days.

Edward429451 said:

I watched a series of videos about the brain and some brain lady named Caroline Leaf on youtube and she says we can reprogram our brain in 21 days and tells how to do it. It's not really hard like you say but does require some discipline. I forget the names of the videos but that's all she talks about is the brain and changing our thinking over 21 days.

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It's, in effect, a form of mental aversion therapy, inducing an adverse emotional attitude toward a particular behavior and establishing a healthier one it its place.

It works for many, and I'm a firm believer in whatever works when it comes to correcting self destructive behavior.

But I do think 21 days is an unrealistic expectation to create permanent change of long term behavioral problems. Setting this expectation can result in loss of the desire to keep trying when the "quick fix" doesn't live up to expectations.

That's why I believe in the gradual approach in changing most habits other than those of physical addictions which require an absolute abstinence to break the addiction at the start and gradual changes in integrated associated behaviors afterwards. (There is another school of thought on this that addresses the integrated behaviors first and the physical addiction secondarily, and as I said, I am a firm believer in whatever works as long as it works for you.)

In all events it must be recognized that if you keep doing what you've done you'll keep getting what you've got. If you want something different you have to start doing something different.

Frankj said:

But I do think 21 days is an unrealistic expectation to create permanent change of long term behavioral problems. Setting this expectation can result in loss of the desire to keep trying when the "quick fix" doesn't live up to expectations.

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Even if the lady's a brain surgeon and her method may work, it doesn't mean that it can cure full on mental health issues. So if someone has a bad habit they want to break they can use it and be successful. If someone has a mental disorder, then please go get professional help.

??

Lamb said:

Psychiatrists and Psychologists...and even dietitians use that method. It's pretty much trying to break habits by creating healthier ones.

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It really sounds like, you dont know a whole lot about it and so are rejecting the premise....on what? That she is a woman?

Your post kind of left me hanging, thinking, and...?

At 82 years old with many difficult experiences in my lifetime, God has taught me the truth of Paul's command, "Pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Prayer is the key to God's blessing in any and all of these experiences in life, especially in Jesus' victory for us.

BruceLeiter said:

At 82 years old with many difficult experiences in my lifetime, God has taught me the truth of Paul's command, "Pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Prayer is the key to God's blessing in any and all of these experiences in life, especially in Jesus' victory for us.

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It is those fundamentals, those weapons of the Spirit that protect us from being swept away by evil.
How many big-time Evangelists and pastors have you seen fall from their ministries because of scandalous activities. Their greatness in other's eyes led them from the fundamentals like prayer, praise, and the Word, and far away from the Lord.

When we can focus on those things of the Lord (the Rock) like you alluded to, we don't get consumed!

Lamb said:

I was just stating from experience that doctors suggest ways of breaking bad habits by creating new ones. If you have an eating disorder where you binge, and the kitchen is your trigger, you find different paths in the house to avoid going into the kitchen. You create new habits and it takes about 21 times to do so. That's all I'm saying.

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That's what I thought. You've never listened to one of her videos. What you're talking about and what she talks about is worlds apart. A different subject even! You misidentified her and spoke down on her and had no clue while doing it.

You should go listen to one her videos. Any of them, they all go the same direction. Towards Jesus Christ! The lady uses scripture in some of her videos. She's a Sister in Christ!

Edward429451 said:

Even if the lady's a brain surgeon and her method may work, it doesn't mean that it can cure full on mental health issues. So if someone has a bad habit they want to break they can use it and be successful. If someone has a mental disorder, then please go get professional help.

??

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As Nietzsche said "That which does not destroy me makes me stronger".

Of course, it should be remembered that he died from insanity while middle aged.

Frankj said:

As Nietzsche said "That which does not destroy me makes me stronger".

Of course, it should be remembered that he died from insanity while middle aged.

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I didn't know that!

Lamb said:

Could you please point out where I "talked down on her"??????? I'm confused because I did no such thing.

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Well it was your first post in this thread after I mentioned Caroline Leaf.

Something about your wording sounded like you were being dismissive of her and her ideas like, been there done that got the t-shirt, didnt work...

I'm just saying this lady knows what she is talking about. Actually I watched one of her videos already this morning and I learned that she is actually a Neuroscientist. A Christian, Neuroscientist! Which gives her a unique perspective and she is worth listening too.

She even says that Schizophrenia is not a disease! I wonr give the spoilers why, lol. Your welcome.